Star Wars: Visit Tatooine Before It's Too Late

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Episode I's Mos Espa film set will soon be gone forever.

By Max Nicholson

Back when George Lucas was prepping to shoot Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, the filmmaker scouted out a spot in the Tunisian Sahara that would soon be transformed into Mos Espa, the hometown of Anakin Skywalker. Situated northwest of the city of Tozeur, the small, fictional town comprised of 20 buildings covers an area of approximately 10,000 square meters. Over a decade later, the iconic film set remains a touchstone destination for Star Wars fans from around the world... but not for much longer.

Meesa gonna miss dis place...

According to CNN, there's a clock on this lone tourist attraction, as the desert's sand dunes are moving to engulf the alien settlement from every side. A team of scientists have been tracking the movement of one of those sand dunes, which has already started taking over the set. Moving at a rate of 4cm per day, it won't be too long before Mos Espa is buried completely.

The sand dune is a major loss for Tunisia, which packs carloads of tourists each day and drives them out to visit the abandoned film set. As CNN notes, trips have even been included in hotel vacation packages, and it's one of the few great boons in the region that draws visitors into the baking-hot Sahara sun.

All this to say, if you ever planned on visiting Tatooine, now's the time to book your flight.

Exit Theatre Mode

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter, or MaxNicholson on IGN.